Weft-fork clearer for looms.



N0. 693,50l. Patented Feb. l8, i902.

D. W. DENNY. WEFT FORK CLEABER FOB LOOMS.

(Application filed Sept. 12, 1901.

(No Model.)

Ni'rnn Srn'rns DAVID WHITFIELD DENNY, OF \VARRE Parent rricn.

NVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TION OF MAINE.

\NEFT- -FORK CLEARER FOR LOOM3.

SFECIFECATLZON part of Letters Eatent No. 693,501, dated February 18,1902. Application filed September 12, 1901- Serial No 75,145. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it nm/g concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID WHITFIELD DENNY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Narrenville, county of Aiken,

State of South Carolina, have invented an Improvement in Looms, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

Thin places are sometimes made in weaving cloth by failure of theweft-fork to act promptly upon failure of the filling to effect eitherthe stoppage of the loom or the automatic replenishment of filling ifthe loom be provided with fillin g-replenishin g mechanism. Such failureof the weft-fork to operate properly is sometimes caused by the fillinglooping or tangling around the tines of the fork, due to undue slacknessof filling or whip 2o ping-off from the filling-carrier, the fork beingso held by the filling that subsequent breakage or exhaustion thereofwill not be detected. As a consequence the loom will not be stopped norwill fresh filling be supplied, either or both of such operations beingperformed automatically upon failure or exhaustion of the filling whenthe fork is free to properly perform its detecting function.

My present invention has for its object the production of means forclearing the weftfork of filling which may catch thereupon, so that theproper operation of the fork is assured.

Figure l is a top or plan view, broken out centrally, of a portion of aloom with one embodiment of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is anenlarged transverse section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking toward theleft; and Fig. 3 is a perspective detail, also enlarged, of the meansfor clearing the weft-fork.

I have herein shown the lay A breast-beam A with a notched holding-plateN for the shipper N ,the only memberillustrated of the usual stoppingmeans for the loom, a knockoffarmnvfi, fulcrumed atn, andaself-threading shuttle S, all substantially as shown in United StatesPatent No. 662,320, and the loom is shown in Fig. 1 as provided withfilling-replenishing mechanism comprising, essentially, afilling-fecderF for the filling-car- .rlers Z), a transferrerf, and acontrolling or operating rock-shaft 01, adapted to be rotated in thedirection of arrow 20 to effect a change of filling, as in said patent.

The slide on, slotted at m for the upper end of the vibratingweft-hammer W and having a filling or weft fork m pivotally mountedthereon at m is mounted in the stand 19 secured to the breast-beam, theweft-fork having the usual tail m to be engaged by the hook m of theweft-hammer when the fork is not tilted in well-known manner. Anupturned arm (Z secured to the rock-shaft d, is operatively connectedwith the outer end of the slide m to be moved'when said slide is 6 3moved outward by the weft-hammer, thereby turning the rock-shaft toeffect a replenishment of filling. The end a is extended in the path ofthe outer end of a dog 30, fulcrumed at 31 on the slide m, and alongitudinallymovable trip is mounted on the slide, having a lump 33 onits upper side to normally engage a depending cam 34 on the dog andholding the outer end of the latter above the end n of the knockoff arm,all substantially as in said patent, a second outward move ment of theslide m causing the dog, which has dropped behind the part M, to engageand swing theknock-off arm, and thereby release the shipper N to effectstoppage of the loom.

The weft-fork is located at the left-hand side of the loom, as hereinillustrated, the raceway of the lay having a transverse recess a throughwhich the tines of the weftfork sweep on the beat-up of the lay, and atthe rear end of the recess the usual grid Gis secured to the lay. It ismanifest that the fork must be entirely free to rock on its fulcrum m inorder to properly perform its functions, for should it be held in suchposition that its tail cannot be engaged by the hook of the weft-hammerabsence of filling will not be detected and neither the stopping meansfor the 100m nor the filling-replenishing mechanism will be operated,and as the loom continues to run without any filling laid in the shed athin place will be made in the cloth.

Sometimes the weft or filling will break and the loose end will wraparound the tines of Ice the fork or undue slackness of the weft orwhipping-off of the same from the Weft-carrier in the shuttle will causethe weft to wrap around the fork-tines and prevent proper action of thefork. I have herein provided simple and effective meansto clear the weftfrom the fork in such cases or to break or slacken the weft to therebyrelease the fork and permit it to return to normal operative condition,and to this end a block 0, having, preferably, a series of upturnedfingers c, separated at their upper ends, is secured to the front of thelay at the outer end of the transverse recess a as clearly shown in thedrawings,opposite the grid G. The fingers are separated sufficiently topermit the passage between them of the tines of the weft-fork as the laybeats up, so that the fork can feel the weft on every other pick. Shouldthe weft for any reason wrap around or become entangled in the fork, thefingers 0 will clear the same on the backward beat of the lay, as saidfingers will sweep between the tines of the fork at such time and thefork will be 1 from right to left has laid the weft in such a way thatit becomes entangled with the fork, then at such time the lay must bebeating up the Weft just laid. On the next backward stroke of the laythe clearer will not operate to break the weft or slacken it until theshuttle has been shot from left to right, thereby laying a weftthread,which on the next change of shed and pick will be bound in the fabric,as usual, and the breaking of the weft thereafter by the clearer willnot interfere with the weft so laid, but the weft-fork willbe free tooperate at the newt detecting-pick.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is v In aloom, the lay, a weft-fork, and aclearer mounted on the front of the lay opposite the weft-fork, saidclearer comprising a plurality of upturned fingers separated at theirupper ends and adapted to pass between the tines of the fork, to clearthe latter of weft as the lay moves back.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID WHITFIELD DENNY.

Witnesses:

G. W. NEWBY, O. A. TEAGUE.

